The article :TERRAVINO 2006

by: John Salvi

About the writer:

John Salvi is an English Master of Wine who has lived for the last 35 years in Bordeaux.  The title of Master of Wine is the highest internationally recognized accolade for depth and breadth of wine knowledge.  He is also an oenologist who studied under the famous Professor Peynaud at Bordeaux University.

After 40 years in the wine trade as negociant, shipper, wine-maker and professional taster, he now devotes his time to sharing his great knowledge with wine-lovers.  Apart from travelling extensively to the many vineyard areas of the world, where he is much in demand as judge, consultant and taster, he accompanies and guides the wine-tours of his wife Nellie Salvi’s company Vino Fino.  He is also a professional wine-writer and journalist.  No other wine-tour company can boast such a well-known and learned guide with access to all the great Chateaux with their owners and growers who are, for the most part, his long time friends and acquaintances.  John lives in Margaux, in the Medoc, not five minutes from Chateau Margaux, and was involved with Chateau Palmer for 40 years.

Be it Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Loire, the Rhone Valley, Rioja, Piedmont, Tuscany, South Africa, or the Port and Sherry regions, John will be happy to guide you or to impart information.

As already mentioned he is a professional wine-writer and journalist, a member of the British Circle of Wine Writers, founder and committee member of the Federation Internationale des Journalistes et Ecrivains de Vin (Brussels), member of the Association Francaise des Jounalistes et Ecrivains de Vin (Paris), member of the Senior Livery of the Worshipful Company of Vintners (Great Britain), member of the Institute of Masters of Wine (London), and represents Great Britain at the International Union of Oenologists.

Passionate about food and wine, especially the marriage of food and wine without snobbery or mysticism, he is also a member of the French Institute of Gastronomy, The Association Française pour la Gastronomie et le Tourisme (Paris), and the Association des Informateurs et Chroniqueurs dans le Domaine de la Gastronomie et du Vin (APCIG, Paris).

Weather has been a lifelong passion for John, and the relationship between weather and wine is his speciality for which he is well known.  On this subject he writes knowledgeably, wittily, eruditely and entertainingly, and his monthly reports are not only a delight to read but contain a wealth of useful, accurate and up-to-date information which is of great value to those wishing or needing to know the very latest news from the vineyards whether for professional purposes or for sheer interest.  These reports are widely used by well-known wine magazines all over the world who lack the intimate hands-on knowledge of an expert living in the heart of the Bordeaux vineyards.

John is a member of numerous wine fraternities from all over France (Chevalier de Tastevin de Bourgogne, Gentilhomme de Pomerol, Jurade de St. Emilion, Commanderie du Bontemps du Medoc et Graves), the Loire, Beaujolais, Alsace, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc.  From these sources he draws vital, valuable, and accurate information about what is going on in the trade, the cellars and the vineyards.  Information is only useful if it is reliable, up to date, and accurate and this is of supreme importance to John.

To make matters easier John speaks, apart from his mother tongue English, fluent French, German, Italian and Spanish.  He used to speak fluent Russian but admits that these days it is pretty rusty, and needs liberal doses of vodka and caviar to oil the cogs of memory!

 The article :TERRAVINO 2006